Safety-gate for swing-bridges



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

N. SGHLESSER.

SAFETY GATE FOR SWING BRIDGES.

N. PETER! PbaloLilIwmpher. wuhlngtm 0.1;

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. N. SOHLESSER. SAFETY GATBFOR SWING BRIDGES.

Patented July 30 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

NIOKOLES SOHLESSER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

SAFETY-GATE FOR SWING-BRIDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,967, dated July 30, 1889.

Application filed April 23, 1889. Serial No. 308,328- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NIcKoLEs ScHLEssEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Safety- Gates for Swing-Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in gates of the class employed in connection with swing-bridges to bar the approach to the bridge when the latter is opened and fold out of the way when the bridge is closed, the gate being actuated by movement of the bridge.

My object is to provide an improved gate of the aforesaid class, involvingasimple construction, and reliable in its operation; and to this end my invention consists in the general construction of my improvement; and it further consists in details of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a single gate of improved construction, looking from the bridge, and showing also the gate-operating mechanism, the sup ports for the various parts being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2, a broken top plan view of the end of a bridge and its abutment, showing only certain details of the gate-operating mechanism, with the gate proper left out to illustrate the said details with greater clearness; Figs. 3 and 4, sections taken on the lines 3 and 4:, respectively, of Fig. 1, and showing details; and Fig. 5, a view in elevation of a double gate of my improved construction, showing, for purposes of illustration, one side open and the other closed with the supports for the mechanism in dotted lines.

A denotes the abutment of a swing-bridge B.

C is a frame upon the abutment, toward. the edge of the latter, consisting of posts C C Fig. 1, or C C, Fig. 5, on opposite sides of the approach to the bridge, and supporting a cross-piece 0 D is lazy-tongs mechanism supported upon the frame 0 and affording the gate.

There a single gate, as shown in Fig. 1, is employed, the lazy-tongs are supported on one post, and when distended extend extirely across the approach to the bridge, while,

where the double gate (shown in Fig. 5) is employed, they, when distended, meet at the middle of the bridge approach. The only in aterial difference of construction between the single gate and the gate affording the double gate, lies in the number of levers in the system thereof composing the lazy-tongs, while the mechanism for operating them is substantially the same. i

The lazy-tongs D are horizontally disposed and on edge, as shown, being loosely connected at the junction 25 of the first pair of levers to a vertically-swinging lever E, and pivotally secured at the junction t of the second pair of levers in a bearing afforded by a bracket 8 on the post C. The swinging lever E is fulcrumed, preferably toward its middle, to abracket .9 on the post, and is loosely connected toward its upper end by means of a link 1' with a horizontal lever E, fulcrumed at .9 upon the cross-piece G The lever E is bent, as shown, to afford the down- Wardly-bowed portion (1 between graduallyrising parts p p.

A track (1 comprising a rod of stiff and preferably springy metal, is secured upon the cross-piece O to extend longitudinally thereof, and is bowed upward, the point of its greatest altitude being centrally between the gateposts, and adjacent to the center of the downwardly-bowed portion (1 of the lever E. The weight of the free end of the lever E causes it when not supported, as hereinafter described, automatically to drop to its lowest position, which causes it to draw upon the lever E and distend the lazy-tongs. When the lever E is in this its normal position, the part 1 is below the track G with the parts 1) p projecting above the latter.

F is an arm secured to the upper framework of the bridgeB and projecting centrally beyond the end of the latter to slide toward its free end upon .the track 0 during the swinging of the bridge across the abutmentand when the bridge is closed to rest upon the rod at the point aforesaid of the latters greatest altitude. WVhen the bridge is open, the lever E is down and the gate closed. As the bridge is closed, the arm E engages the under side of the lever at one of its upwardly projected parts, and sliding along the track C, as aforesaid, moves to the point q, thus raising the lever to its highest limit and opening the gate. Swinging of the bridge to open it moves the arm F from under the lever E and causes the latter to drop automatically and close the gate.

The arm F is pivotally secured to its support to permit limited vertical play of the arm, which enables the latter to move readily to slide upon the track 0 and prevents any rocking or jarring motion of the bridge from interfering with the perfect working of the gate. The lever E extends ihrough a projecting frame 0 on the cross-piece G which prevents lateral play of the lever without interfering with its vertical movement. As will be seen, the raising of the lever E is eifected in the same manner, whichever side the bridge approaches from, and in the double gate both levers E are caused to rise and drop simultaneously.

To prevent sagging of the lazy-ton gs D and add to the strength of the gate, I connect them at one of the cross-joints toward the forward end, and by means of a rod, cable, or the like at, with a pulleyit, upon an overhead track m. In the opening and closing of the gate the pulley runs back and forth upon the track and maintains the suspending medium n always vertical, and a lantern Z may be secured to the latter, as shown, to operate at night as a signal when the gate is closed and become hidden in a housing Z on the post when the gate is opened.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a swing-bridge and its abutment, a safety-gate comprising horizontally-disposed lazy-tongs, a weight connected with the lazy-tongs and tending to maintain it normally distended across the approach to the bridge, and an arm on the bridge operating with the closing thereof to lift the weight and fold the lazy-tongs, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a swing-bridge and its abutment, a frame 0 upon the abutment, a vertically-oscillating lever E, supported above the frame normally at the lowest limit of its oscillation, a safety-gate D upon the frame comprising horizontally-disposed lazytongs connected with the lever E to be maintained distended by the normal position of the latter and become folded by the rise thereof, and an arm on the swing-bridge operated bythe closing of the latter to engage and raise the lever E to open the gate, and by the opening of the bridge to release the lever to close the gate, substantially as described.

oted to the frame and loosely connected toward opposite ends, respectively, to the short arm of the lever E and gate D, whereby, when the long arm of the lever E is down, the lazytongs are distended and become folded with the rise of the said arm, and an arm on the swing-bridge operated by the closing of the latter to engage and raise the lever E to open the gate, and by the opening of the bridge to release the lever to close the gate, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a swing-bridge and its abutment, a frame 0 upon-the abutment, vertically-oscillating lever E, pivotally supported above the frame, having a long arm bent to afford adepressed part q, and elevated portions p p, the said arm being normally at the lowest limit of its oscillation, a safetygate D upon the frame, comprising horizontally-disposed lazy-tongs, a lever E, pivoted to 'the frame and loosely connected toward opposite ends, respectively, with the short arm of the lever E and gate D, whereby, when the long arm of the lever E is down, the lazytongs are distended and become folded with the rise of the said arm, a track C upon the frame, and an arm F, pivotally supported on the swing-bridge and operated by the closing of the latter to slide toward its free end upon the track C and engage and raise the long arm of the lever E to open the gate, and by the opening of the bridge to release the lever to close the gate, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a swing-bridge and its abutment, a frame 0 upon the abutment, vertically-oscillating lever E, pivotally supported above the frame, having a long arm bent to afford a depressed part q, and upwardly-inclining portions 19 p, the said arm being normally at the lowest limit of its oscillation, a safety-"gate D upon the frame comprising horizontally-disposed lazytongs, a track m above the gate, a pulley n upon the track connected with the lazy-tongs by a connectingmedium-n, carrying a lantern Z, a housing Z for the lantern, a lever E, pivoted to the frame and loosely connected toward opposite ends, respectively, with the short arm of the lever E and gate D, whereby, when the long arm of the lever E is down, the lazy-tongs are distended and become folded with the rise of the said arm, a track C upon the frame, and an arm F, pivotally supported on the swing-bridge and operated by the closing of the latter to slide'toward its free end upon the track C and engage and raise the long arm of the lever E to open the gate, and by the opening of the bridge to release the lever to close the gate, substantiallyas described.

NICKOLES 'SOHLESSER. In presence of J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. BOWERS. 

